Abuja - Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of State, General
Muhammadu Buhari were conspicuously absent at the meeting of Council of
State which kicked off in Aso Rock presidential villa, Abuja this
morning.
The meeting which is being presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan was last held in March last year.
However former Heads of State and Presidents present at the meeting
which was still on at the time of filing in this story include former
Presidents General Yakubu Gowon,(retd) General Ibrahim Babangida (retd)
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Earnest Shonekan and General Abdusalami
Abubakar.
Governors present include Governor Kayode Fayemi, Theodore, Ibikunle
Amosun, Rauf Aregbesola, Godswill Akpabio, Murtala Nyako, Raji Fashola
of Ekiti, Abia, Ogun, Osun, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom and Lagos States among
others.
Also present were some former Chief Justices of Nigeria. Aminu
Tambuwal, the Speaker of House of Representatives and Senate President
David Mark were also present at the meeting. Governor Rotimi Amaechi,
the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum was also absent at the meeting.
Amaechi led NGF had complained about the refusal of the presidency to
convey the meeting which has Vice President Namadi Sambo as the vice
chairman.
It is not clear why former President Obasanjo was absent at the
meeting. P.M. NEWS however gathered that it may be due to his sour
relationship with President Jonathan following the exchange of letters
between the two late last year.
However General Buhari has a tradition of boycotting previous
meetings. The retired General who contested against President Jonathan
in 2011 general elections once said in a media interview that he only
attended the meeting when issues which he has interest in are on the
agenda of the meeting.
There was mild drama just before the meeting began when Governor
Nyako who was sitting beside the Abia State Governor requested for a
change of seat after some PDP Governors led by Governor Akpabio started
taunting him to return to PDP.
Apart from the incumbent President and the Vice President, members of
Council of State include all former Presidents and Heads of Government,
all former Chief Justices of Nigeria; President of the Senate; Speaker
of the House of Representatives; all the 36 state governors and the
Attorney-General of the Federation.
It was gathered that issues that would be discussed at today’s
meeting include the coming national conference, 2015 general elections
and Nigeria’s centenary celebrations.
[PMNEWS]
No comments:
Post a Comment